Time to Care: Appeal for donations to district's food banks

Wakefield's Food Aid Network is appealing for help as rising numbers of people turn to food banks and holiday hunger schemes to feed their families.

Chairwoman of the network Coun Maureen Cummings is encouraging people to donate to projects supporting the homeless and people living in poverty.

Her plea comes a month after she told a meeting of Wakefield Council that the number of food banks in our district had risen from 11 to 23 in the past three years and more than a quarter - 27 per cent - of children were now living in poverty.

She said in the previous 18 months, the network had supported holiday hunger projects, set up to give children meals during the school breaks.

Coun Cummings said: "More and more people are now reliant on food banks and holiday hunger is definitely on the increase.

"We are seeing more and more people referred to holiday hunger schemes during the school breaks.

"That means these organisations are getting more reliant on donations of food or financial support.

"In the holiday hunger project I'm involved in, it costs on average £170 per day to run. That's feeding about 42 people, the centre hire and the staff time.

"Any help whatsoever, whether it be through donations, financial support, or people volunteering would be greatly appreciated across the district."

Through its Time to Care campaign, The Express is encouraging people to do what they can to support others in their communities.

We know we cannot end poverty but we can make a difference.

And gestures as small as giving one item to a food bank or homeless shelter, will go some way to helping the hundreds of people in need across our district.

Any individuals or organisations who can help can call into their nearest food bank or holiday hunger scheme, call Coun Cummings on 01924 363165 or contact Cap Care Wakefield on 01924 381119.